Reconnecting America recently completed Are We There Yet?, a project that established benchmarks against which regions across America can be measured. Allison Brooks offers an overview of the report and all that went into it.

Nothing better illustrates the breadth and reach of the issues Reconnecting America is involved in than the topics discussed in this issue of our newsletter. It is all there, from families in urban transit-oriented communities, to folks in rural neighborhoods who need to get to the doctor and communities reaching out to learn about livability, smart growth, and sustainability. It is because these issues affect people from Vermont to Gulfport and coast to coast, that Reconnecting America has been working with key congressional offices and partner organizations to promote transit-oriented development in the context of the surface transportation reauthorization bill currently being crafted on Capitol Hill.

In the Fall 2011 issue, Reconnecting America's Sam Zimbabwe, the director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, discusses our work with regional stakeholders to articulate the benefits and challenges of transit and transitoriented development (TOD) in regions around the country. Policy Director Sarah Kline summarizes Congress' big challenges and Chief of Staff Allison Brooks and Deputy Policy Director Darnell Chadwick Grisby explore the implications for the nation of the America Fast Forward proposal that Los Angeles is pushing. Finally, Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman presents the second part of her series on collaborative partnerships, detailing what's needed to make this collaborations work.

Beyond our regular updates on what the Center for Transit-Oriented Development has been up to and the latest from our Policy team's efforts in Washington, DC, the Summer 2011 Platform newsletter looks at our involvement in collaborative efforts to support creation and preservation of equitable transit-oriented developments. In addition to an overview of our work across the nation, we take a detailed look at Denver's TOD collaboration and the Bay Area Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Fund. The newletter also recaps our 2011 Transit Space Race report and introduces the new FTA-sponsored webinar series.

In our Winter 2011 Platform newsletter, Program Director Catherine Cox Blair explores our work in the Twin Cities and the Central Corridor TOD framework process. And CTOD Director Sam Zimbabwe offers an update on our continuing research and technical assistance efforts. Policy Associate G. Sasha Forbes explains our inventory of TOD projects, and rounding out the newsletter is a discussion of the latest in our TOD series and a summary of our work supporting livable, sustainable communities.

In our Fall 2010 newsletter, Policy Director Sarah Kline discusses work the led to development of 10 recommendations for federal program changes to more effectively leverage federal funding in support of equitable TOD, and other policy work. Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman explains our work in Portland on the integretion of transportation and land use. CTOD Director Sam Zimbabwe offers a glimpse at our work researching and providing technical assistance on equitable TOD, reducing GHG emissions and identifying the links between TOD and employment. Chief of Staff Allison Brooks says goodbye to some old friends and welcomes new members to the staff. And Policy Associate Sasha Forbes explains the Mixed-Income TOD Action Guide tool.

Among the articles in this newsletter: Building The New Transit Town -- Reconnecting America’s New CEO Shares His Experiences; AARP, National Housing Trust and RA Report Finds Thousands Could Lose Affordable Apartments Near Transit; TOD Help For MPOs; CTOD Takes Its Transit and TOD Database Online; A TOD Strategy For Central Maryland; What Is The Definition Of “Successful TOD” In Los Angeles? and Can A Streetcar Capture Value In Washington D.C.?

In this issue of Reconnecting America's e-newsletter is the announcement of a new book that should push public transit to the top of the conservative (and liberal) agenda; Mariia Zimmerman's testimony to Senate Banking; a briefing book on bringing equitable, sustainable TOD to scale; a new paper on how connecting destinations will help ensure high ridership; and a big welcome to Catherine Cox Blair, who has joined Reconnecting America and the Center for TOD team.

In this issue of Reconnecting America's monthly email newsletter are short case studies on essential TOD tools, prepared for US EPA and Phoenix LISC; a video of Michael Powell from Powell's Books talking about the economic development benefits of the Portland streetcar; a link to Senate Banking Committee testimony from CTOD's Shelley Poticha and Scott Bernstein, plus a link to the housing and transportation affordability index for 54 metro regions; and pie charts showing how three cities assembled funding for their streetcars.

This is Reconnecting America's second monthly email newsletter, with an update on the status of the streetcar movement in the U.S.; a link to a new mixed-income housing "action guide" that helps users select the suite of strategies best-suited for a particular neighborhood; news of the formal launch of the Transportation for America campaign and coalition that will be working on the next federal transportation bill; and a few more best practices from around the world.